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Study and research in Germany

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Study and research in Germany

Home « Study and research in Germany « University « Type of university « Table 2: Types of Higher Education Institutions At A Glance

Table 2: Types of Higher Education Institutions At A Glance

Table 2: Types of Higher Education Institutions At A Glance

There are currently 268 state (public) higher education institutions in Germany, 41 church-maintained colleges and 63 private universities. Depending on the type of HEI, the subject profile, qualification options and admissions requirements will differ quite considerably. The following table presents a very simplified overview of the key features for the various types of higher education institutions.

Universities

Where?: Nationwide
Admission*: General higher education entrance qualification (Abitur); in some cases, admissions restrictions (Numerus Clausus) apply or universities select their students themselves
Subjects**: Medicine, dentistry, natural sciences, engineering, arts, humanities and social sciences, languages and cultural studies, theology, economics and business administration, law, agricultural and forest sciences, sport
Degrees: Bachelor's, Master's, Diplom, Magister, Promotion (Doctorate), Staatsprüfung für das Lehramt, Staatsexamen
Studies begin: Mostly in the winter and summer semester

Technical Universities/Universities of Technology

Where?: Nationwide
Admission*: General higher education entrance qualification (Abitur); in some cases, admissions restrictions (Numerus Clausus) apply or universities select their students themselves
Subjects**: Largely engineering and natural sciences programmes, in some cases, arts and humanities programmes as well
Degrees: Bachelor's, Master's, Diplom, Magister, Promotion (Doctorate)
Studies begin: Mostly in the winter semester

Fachhochschulen (Universities of Applied Sciences)

Where?: Nationwide
Admission*: General higher education entrance qualification (Abitur) or subject-specific/Fachhochschule higher education entrance qualification; local admissions restrictions often apply; in some cases, a pre-study internship is required
Subjects**: Engineering/technical professions, business and management, social studies and home economics, design, computer science, library, information and documentary sciences, nursing and public health sciences
Degrees: Bachelor's, Master's, Diplom 
Studies begin: Mostly in the winter semester

Colleges of Art, Film and Music

Where?: Small number of institutions. Info on study opportunities available from: HEI Guide and HEI Profiles; information specifically on colleges of music: http://www.miz.org/home.html (German Music Information Centre)
Admission*: Subject-specific or general higher education entrance qualification; where applicants are particularly talented, this entrance qualification may not be required. NB: Proof of artistic talent is provided by submitting work samples (portfolio) and taking part in aptitude tests
Subjects**: Visual arts, performing arts and fine art, design, restoration, photography, film and television art, theatre/drama, art therapy, instrumental training, singing, composition, church music, music education, opera directing, new media, film and television acting, dramaturgy/dramatic art, camera, directing, production and media management
Degrees: Bachelor's, Master's, Diplom, Magister, Promotion (Doctorate), Staatsprüfung für das Lehramt
Studies begin: Mostly in the winter semester

Universities of Education

Where?: Baden-Württemberg only
Admission*: Subject-specific or general higher education entrance qualification; sometimes a pre-study internship is required
Subjects: All school subjects plus educational sciences, education and psychology plus internships, training of teachers for all school types, including special needs schools and inclusive education teachers for the mentally and physically-disabled
Degrees: Bachelor's, Master's, Diplom, Magister, Staatsprüfung für das Lehramt, Promotion
Studies begin: Mostly in the winter semester

Theological and church-maintained colleges

Where?: Small number of institutions. Information and list of study opportunities available from: HEI Guide and HEI Profiles. Further info available from: www.ekd.de (for Protestant colleges); www.katholische-kirche.de (for Catholic colleges)
Admission*: Subject-specific or general higher education entrance qualification; in some cases, church membership (Protestant or Catholic) required; sometimes participation in an aptitude test
Subjects**: Theology, religious studies, philosophy, sociology, psychology, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, church music, social work and education, health and nursing sciences, inclusive education with majors in special needs education, curative/therapeutic education, and disability education
Degrees: Bachelor's, Master's, Diplom, Magister, Promotion (Doctorate), Lizentiat, Staatsprüfung für das Lehramt
Studies begin: Mostly in the winter and summer semester

Private Universities***

Where?: Small number of institutions. Info on study opportunities available from: HEI Guide and HEI Profiles and from: www.private-hochschulen.net
Admission*: Subject-specific or general higher education entrance qualification; mostly attendance of selection interviews and aptitude tests
Subjects**: Economics and business administration/management, social sciences, law, engineering, tourism, computer science/information technology, medicine, art therapy, natural sciences, arts and humanities, journalism
Degrees: Bachelor's, Master's, Diplom, Promotion (Doctorate)
Studies begin: Mostly in the winter semester


* Foreign secondary school leaving certificates or higher education entrance qualifications must be recognised as equivalent to the German general or subject-specific higher education entrance qualification. For more info on this, please go to: (Admissions Info).
** Selection of usual academic subjects. The specific range of studies/programmes offered by each higher education institution can be checked in the database HEI Guide.   
*** When making your choice, please ensure that you check that the institution has "state recognition". The database HEI Profiles will help you check which private universities have such state recognition, because the database only lists state-recognised institutions. 

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DAAD Glossary

Hochschul- Zugangsberechtigung

"Hochschul- Zugangsberechtigung" stands for higher education entrance qualification, i.e. the university entrance qualification. Generally, applicants have to present either the general higher education entrance qualification (Allgemeine Hochschulreife or Abitur) or a subject-specific entrance qualification (such as the "fachgebundene Hochschulreife" or an institution-specific qualification, such as the Fachhochschulreife). Applicants may additionally be required to pass an admissions test or complete an internship.

Hochschule

"Hochschule" is the generic term for the various kinds of higher education or tertiary level institutions (Hochschultypen), such as universities, universities of applied sciences or colleges of art, film or music (Kunst-, Film- und Musikhochschulen), or colleges of education (Pädagogische Hochschulen).

Praktikum

A "Praktikum" is an internship or work placement that aims to give students the opportunity to gain experience outside academia by working in business and industry or in public authorities, administrations etc. Internships are a compulsory part of many degree programmes.

Promotion

"Promotion" is the German word for a doctorate and for the process that leads to this degree. Doctoral students (Promovierende or Doktoranden) earn a doctorate by producing a written research paper (dissertation or thesis) and by defending their paper in an oral exam called Rigorosum or Disputation, very similar to a viva (voce). To gain a doctorate, candidates generally have to prove that they hold an academic degree. Many universities offer graduate schools or graduate colleges (Graduiertenkollegs) or even whole doctoral programmes to "promote" the qualifications of their doctoral students and candidates.

SS

Abbreviation for summer semester.

Universität

"Universität" means university and is used for research universities (wissenschaftliche Hochschulen) that offer a broad range of subjects (like arts and humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, economics and business administration, law, medicine). These institutions confer doctorates. The strong research focus benefits students in their training. Please note, however, that English texts often use the term "university" generically, i.e. to cover all kinds of higher education institutions, for example, universities of the arts, universities of applied sciences, universities of education, etc.

WS

Abbreviation for winter semester.

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Source: http://www.daad.de/deutschland/hochschulen/hochschultypen/05950.en.html
Date: 2009-01-09